UC-NRLF 


B   M   50fl   1S3 


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I 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  CARE 

AND  USE  OF  PAMPHLETS 

AND  CLIPPINGS  IN 

LIBRARIES 


BY 


PHILENA  A.  DICKEY 


, 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  CARE 

AND  USE  OF  PAMPHLETS 

AND  CLIPPINGS  IN 

LIBRARIES 


BY 
PHILENA  A.  DICKEY 


Presented  Originally  as  a  Thesis  for  Graduation 
Library  School  of  trie  New  York  Public  Library 

1916 

Second   and   Revised   Edition 


NEW  YORK 
THE  H.  W.  WILSON  COMPANY  . 
LONDON:  GRAFTON  8c  CO. 
1922 


*      '     •.    »    ■ 


•  •     •    •    "* 


• 


V 


Published  January,   1917 

Second  Edition,  April,   1922 

Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


■ 


SUGGESTIONS  FOR  THE  CARE  AND  USE 

OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

IN  LIBRARIES 

A  great  change  has  come  over  the  attitude  of  the 
librarian  and  the  public  toward  ephemeral  material  since 
Mr.  Charles  A.  Cutter  said: 

"A  librarian  ordinarily  collects  pamphlets  as  unhesi- 
tatingly as  a  little  dog  runs  out  and  barks  at  a  buggy. 
v  .  r       The  dog  could  not  give  any  reason  for  it; 

Ephemeral       but  all  of  his  ancestors  have  done  it ;  all  the 
Material  curs  0f  ^is  acquaintance  do  it;  and  he  has 

done  it  himself  from  his  earliest  recollection." 

The  collection  of  pamphlets  has  today  increased  in 
about  the  same  ratio  as  has  the  speed  of  the  auto  over 
that  of  the  buggy.  In  a  recent  article  on  The  Carbon- 
Black  Industry,  Floyd  W.  Parsons  estimates  that,  in  the 
United  States  alone,  there  is  a  market  for  175,000,000 
books  and  pamphlets  and  14,000,000,000  copies  of  news- 
papers each  year. 

This  mass  of  printed  matter  has  created  a  demand 
on  the  libraries  of  the  country  which  is  being  met  in  va- 
rious ways.  In  the  large  public  libraries,  files  of  uncata- 
logued  but  valuable  material  have  been 
pedients  for  introduced  into  the  special  departments  in 
Meeting  order  to  use  this  fugitive  information,  and 

emand  ^  smajj  iibrary  fincis  jn  this  same  material 

a  means  of  supplementing  a  meager  book  collection  that 


;.... 


2  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

costs  little  or  nothing.  In  the  commercial  centers,  an 
effort  to  bring  this  material  into  immediate  and  practical 
use  has  resulted  in  the  development  of  the  so-called  "Spe- 
cial Library,"  that  is,  the  libraries  are  classified  as  well  as 
the  materials  of  which  they  are  constituted. 

In  New  York  City  alone,  there  are  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  260  libraries  which  come  under  the  designation 
"Special."  This  in  non-library  language  means  that  each 
of  the  260  organizations,  representing  every  phase  of 
commercial,  financial,  technical  and  social  endeavor,  has 
found  that  a  private  library  in  which  the  literature  of 
its  own  and  allied  subjects  is  arranged  with  a  view  to 
immediate  usefulness,  is  an  asset  worth  maintaining,  and 
that  a  trained  librarian  is  the  surest  way  to  reach  this 
consummation  with  the  least  waste  of  time  and  effort. 

The  special  library  is  designed  to  meet  the  needs  of 
a  definite  group  of  people  having  a  common  interest, 
which  fact  naturally  limits  the  scope  of  the  collection. 
Types  of  On    tne    otner    hand,    the    public    library, 

Material  having  almost  unlimited  interests  to  serve, 

calls  for  a  more  comprehensive  selection  of  material,  and 
it  may  be  well  to  indicate  some  of  the  uses  to  which  the 
pamphlet  and  clipping  materials  are  peculiarly  adapted, 
as  well  as  some  of  the  groups  in  the  community  for  whom 
such  collections  should  have  especial  value. 

Municipal  Data 

The  library  which  serves  the  public  has  a  duty  to 
the  community  at  large,  and  no  set  of  problems  can  claim 
precedence  over  those  of  the  municipal  authorities.  In 
this,  the  secret  of  efficiency,  as  in  all  library  work,  lies 
in  the  anticipation  of  the   demand.     The   collection   of 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  3 

reports,  investigations,  surveys,  etc.  of  communities  of 
comparative  size  and  conditions,  as  well  as  material  on 
the  specific  problem  before  the  authorities  at  a  given 
time,  may  be  the  means  of  avoiding  expensive  experiments 
or  mistakes. 

Commercial  Data 

Since  the  World  War,  there  has  been  an  increased 
appreciation  on  the  part  of  business  men  of  the  help  that 
it  is  possible  for  a  library  to  give  in  solving  practical 
problems  of  business  and  commerce.  Great  progress 
has  been  made,  but  the  average  library  has  still  far  to 
go,  as  the  majority  of  library  workers  have  little  interest 
in,  or  appreciation  of,  the  issues  involved,  the  sources 
from  which  the  facts  are  obtainable,  or  of  the  importance 
of  the  time  element  in  business.  In  many  quarters  there 
is  a  queer  feeling  that  questions  of  reference  of  an 
historic,  literary  or  artistic  nature  are  the  legitimate 
province  of  the  public  library,  but  that  it  is  an  unwar- 
ranted intrusion  for  a  business  man  to  ask  for  the  names 
of  the  Directors  of  a  London  steamship  line,  or  the  name 
of  a  company  manufacturing  a  certain  class  of  articles 
in  Birmingham,  Alabama,  especially  if  insistance  is  made 
on  immediate  service. 

Geographic,  Economic,  and  Political  Data 

Another  post-war  development  has  been  the  general 
realization  of  our  national  illiteracy  in  regard  to  geo- 
graphic, economic  and  political  conditions  in  other  coun- 
tries and  various  sections  of  our  own  country.  This  lack 
has  become  so  apparent  that  schools  of  geography  are 
being  opened  in  many  of  our  colleges  and  universities 


4  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

in  a  spontaneous  effort  to  correct  this  fundamental 
deficiency  in  our  understanding  of  world  relations.  The 
first  agencies  to  feel  this  need  acutely,  were  the  large 
financial  and  commercial  institutions  doing  business 
abroad,  and  their  efforts  to  supply  the  defect  by  employing 
experts  to  gather  facts  on  the  spot  and  embody  their 
researches  in  publications  are  today  the  best  source  of 
such  material. 

Lord  Bryce  in  his  "Modern  Democracies"  refers  to 
the  failure  of  bound  books  to  furnish  an  understanding 
of  the  politics  and  popular  currents  influencing  a  nation, 
as  follows : 

"The  historian  or  philosopher  must  go  for  his  mate- 
rial to  such  records  as  debates,  pamphlets,  the  files  of 
newspapers  and  magazines,  doing  his  best  to  feel  through 
the  words  the  form  and  pressure  of  the  facts.  When  he 
extends  his  enquiry  to  other  countries  than  his  own,  the 
abundance  of  material  becomes  bewildering,  because  few 
books  have  been  written  which  bring  together  the  most 
important  facts  so  as  to  provide  that  information  regard- 
ing the  condition  of  these  countries  which  he  needs  in 
order  to  use  the  material  aright." 

It  is  surely  the  library's  function  to  provide  and  make 

available  such  material. 


Current  Topics 

All  questions  of  the  day  are  grist  for  school,  college 
and  club  debates  and  discussions,  and  no  kind  of  material 
to  which  the  library  has  access  lends  itself  to  these  uses 
as  readily  as  the  pamphlet  and  clipping  collection.  Dupli- 
cation is  no  sin  in  this  case,  for  it  frequently  happens 
that  different  sets  of  students  are  assigned  the  same 
subject  for  debate  or  thesis,  and  much  material  is  the 
librarian's  only  salvation. 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  5 

Biographical  Data 

Among  the  demands  most  frequently  made  upon  the 
reference  department,  and  one  of  the  most  difficult  to 
meet  satisfactorily  upon  short  notice,  is  that  for  biog- 
raphies of  living  people.  The  information  exists  in  such 
scattered  form  and  is  so  inadequately  indexed,  that  much 
research  is  necessary  to  assemble  it,  and  the  only  hope 
lies  in  the  gradual  accumulation  of  the  items,  either  under 
headings  in  a  general  file  or  in  a  special  biographical  file. 
There  are  some  variations  of  this  sort  of  a  collection  and 
uses  for  such  a  collection  which  might  not  occur  to  the 
beginner. 

Some  libraries  have  found  it  advisable  along  with  the 
biography,  to  keep  a  record  of  the  writings  and  utterances 
of  the  biographee,  as  a  means  of  checking  his  reactions 
to  questions  of  the  day.  Such  a  check  is  of  especial 
value  in  connection  with  legal  investigations,  and  with 
legislative  and  governmental  activities. 

Another  phase  of  the  biographical  file,  used  particu- 
larly in  special  libraries,  is  that  dealing  with  the  personnel 
of  a  given  profession  or  calling,  such  as  mining  engineers, 
geologists,  bankers,  diplomats,  etc.  Such  a  file  is  con- 
sulted with  reference  to  a  man's  preparation  or  fitness 
for  special  work,  in  which  case  a  knowledge  of  his  profes- 
sional standing,  special  achievements,  published  papers, 
or  even  the  countries  with  which  he  is  personally  familiar, 
may  be  of  the  greatest  importance. 

These  are  random  illustrations  of  the  reference  value 
of  the  pamphlet,  periodical,  and  newspaper  as  first  aid 
to  the  librarian.  The  one  who  neglects  them  for  a  "well- 
rounded  book  collection"  will  be  behind  the  procession, 
especially  in  the  fields  of  economics  and  statistics  where 
the  pamphlet  corrects  the   reference  book,   the   clipping 


6  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

the  pamphlet,  and  yesterday's  clipping  must  be  verified 
by  today's. 

The  beginner,  whether  in  the  special  or  the  public 
library,  may  be  in  doubt  as  to  the  procedure  in  starting 
such  a  collection.  Besides  the  regular  guides  to  book  se- 
Sources  of  lection,  familiar  to  all  librarians,  such  aids 
Material  as  the  Copyright  Entries,  the  Monthly  List 

of  State  Publications,  and  the  Galley  Proof  of  the  Library 
of  Congress  cards  (all  three  published  by  the  Library  of 
Congress)  should  be  kept  in  mind. 

A  close  watch  on  the  daily  press,  especially  such 
papers  as  the  New  York  Times,  New  York  Journal  of 
Commerce,  Wall  Street  Journal,  Christian  Science  Mon- 
itor, etc.  will  yield  an  unexpected  harvest  of  valuable 
material  and  bring  to  notice  new  sources  of  material 
which  are  usually  to  be  obtained  at  little  or  no  cost  beyond 
the  postage  used  in  requesting  copies.  Technical  journals 
dealing  with  the  various  professions  and  industries,  and 
the  reports  and  other  publications  of  institutions  and 
societies,  offer  an  almost  unlimited  field  to  the  vigilant. 
The  librarian  of  the  special  library  has  a  rich  source  in 
the  personnel  of  the  technical  staff  who  are  usually 
generous  in  sharing  their  knowledge  of  the  special  liter- 
ature of  their  fields ;  while  the  public  librarian  has  a 
correspondingly  great  opportunity  to  enlist  the  coopera- 
tion of  the  specialists  of  her  community. 

The    first   question   to    be    settled    in    regard   to   any 
collection  is  that  of  its  physical  care  or  storage.    Thought- 
ful consideration  of  the  conditions  of  space  and  future 
expansion    in   the   beginning,   will   prevent 
f0rr0VAde"         much  difficulty  later.     From  the  figures  al- 


quate  ready  quoted  as  to  the  magnitude  of  the 

Growth  printing    industry,    and    the    computation, 

which  was   made  several   years  ago  at   the   Library   of 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  7 

Harvard  University,  that,  for  the  five  years  previous  to 
the  estimate,  pamphlets  were  received  at  the  rate  of 
16,500  a  year,  it  is  evident  that  a  clearly  defined  policy 
of  expansion  is  necessary  to  the  life  of  a  collection,  as  a 
mass  of  material  too  crowded  for  easy  access  is  practically 
dead. 

In  the  British  Museum  and  the  Library  of  Congress 
it  is  still  possible  to  treat  individual  pamphlets  as  books, 
binding  and  classifying  each  separately,  but  this  pro- 
cedure has  no  place  in  this  discussion  because  of  its  cost 
in  time  and  money. 

The  New  York  Public  Library,  in  its  Reference 
Department,  uses  the  pamphlet  volume  as  well  as  a 
variation  of  the  vertical  file  in  the  Economics  Division. 
In  the  general  collection  where  pamphlet  volumes  are 
used,  only  pamphlets  on  the  same  subject  are  bound 
together,  and  fitted  into  the  regular  classification  like  any 
other  book,  except  that  the  catalog  entry  is  by  subject 
only  and  the  catalog  card  indicates  that  it  is  a  pamphlet 
volume.  The  rules  governing  the  treatment  of  pamphlets 
in  the  John  Crerar  Library,  Chicago,  are  as  follows: 

1.  Pamphlets,  including  reprints  and  other  material 
Pamphlet  of  permanent  value,  which  would  classify 

Treatment  exactly  under  any  probable  subdivision  of 
in  the  the  Decimal  classification,  may  be  proposed 

John  Crerar  ^  tjle  Reference  Librarian  to  be  bound 
Library  together,  with  the  binder's  title,  'Pamphlets 

on  .'  Onlv  material  of  approximately  the  same 
size  is  to  be  put  in  the  same  volume.  The  catalog  entry 
is  to  follow  the  binder's  title  and  is  to  have  contents  note 
with  full  collation  added.  Author  entries  may  be  made 
for  individual  pamphlets. 

Volumes  of  pamphlets  already  bound  when  received, 
if  on  the  same  subject  or  on  allied  subjects  (e.  g.  the 
subdivisions  of  a  section  of  the  Decimal  classification) 


8  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

may  be  treated  in  the  same  way,  unless  analytical  entries 
are  especially  needed.  17  Dec,  1906. 

2.  Material  intended  to  be  cataloged  and  shelved 
permanently  in  boxes,  is  to  be  accessioned  and  to  have 
proper  lettering  on  the  back  of  the  box  and  accession 
numbers  inside.  n  Feb.,  1908. 

3.  Unbound  pamphlets  are  to  be  kept  in  pamphlet 
boxes,  no  box  to  contain  material  classifying  in  two 
divisions  of  the  Library's  Statistics.  A  shelf  list  record 
is  to  be  kept,  with  one  card  for  each  box,  giving  in  a 
tally  record  the  number  of  pamphlets  therein.  A  general 
entry  for  the  collection  is  to  be  made  in  the  author  cata- 
logue under  Pamphlets.  Author  slips  for  all  pamphlets 
of  permanent  value,  including  reprints,  are  to  be  filed  in 
the  official  catalogue.  4  March,  1908. 

4.  Pamphlets,  not  reprints,  which  have  100  pages  or 
more,  or  for  which  the  Library  expects  to  receive  L.  C. 
cards,  are  to  be  bound  and  catalogued.  If  it  is  found 
that  L.  C.  cards  can  be  procured  for  a  pamphlet  of  less 
than  100  pages,  the  fact  is  to  be  reported  to  the  Reference 
Librarians  for  their  consideration.  Any  pamphlet  may 
be  bound  and  catalogued  on  the  recommendation  of  one 
of  the  heads  of  the  staff.  8  December,  1908. 

5.  The  Library  is  to  make  a  collection  of  trade  cata- 
logues ;  and  those  not  regarded  as  of  sufficient  importance 
for  shelving  as  books  are  to  be  kept  as  a  separate  collec- 
tion and  numbered  in  order  of  receipt,  with  card  index 
by  firm  and  subject.  13  May,  191 5. 

From  the  foregoing  directions  it  appears  that  the 
size  of  the  pamphlet  and  the  possibility  of  obtaining 
Library  of  Congress  cards  determine  whether  or  not 
the  pamphlet  shall  receive  individual  treatment.  Those 
which  are  not  to  be  bound  separately  are  looked  over  by 
the  cataloger  and  classifier,  who  writes  the  class  number 
on  the  cover  or  first  page  of  the  pamphlet,  and  the  face 
of  the  order  slip.  For  those  unsolicited  gifts  which  have 
no  order  slip,  one  is  written.     The  slips  are  filed  under 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  o 

their  author  headings  in  the  official  catalog,  and  the  pam- 
phlets put  in  boxes.  Formerly  the  boxes  were  kept  on 
the  regular  shelves  with  the  books,  but  now  they  are  kept 
all  together  in  one  place. 

The  principle  underlying  this  treatment  is  that  un- 
important and  ephemeral  material,  which  is  likely  only 
to  be  called  for  as  relating  to  a  subject,  is  available  in 
bulk,  as  in  the  vertical  file. 

In  the  Harvard  University  Library  there  are  five 
classes  provided  for  pamphlet  material. 

1.     Those  bound  singly. 
In  Harvard  2-     Tne  unbound  but  fully  cataloged  by 

University        author  and  subject. 
Library  3.     Those  having  an  author  entry  only. 

4.  Those  entered  only  in  the  official  catalog. 

5.  Those  not  cataloged  at  all. 

Pamphlets  in  this  last  class  are  sent  to  the  head  of  the 
department,  who  assigns  them  to  their  boxes  in  the 
classification,  according  to  their  subject  matter.  A  box 
may  contain  both  fully  cataloged  and  entirely  uncataloged 
material.  Theoretically,  the  boxes  are  to  serve  as  con- 
tainers until  enough  pamphlets  have  accumulated  to 
bind.  When  a  box  full  is  bound  the  volume  receives 
the  number  borne  by  the  box,  as — Phil.  2575.  1,  and  a 
new  box  with  number  Phil.  2575.  2,  is  started. 

Where  the  pamphlet  volume  is  used,  care  should  be 
taken  to  provide  adequate  indexing  both  for  the  volume 
and  in  the  catalog,  and  in  the  case  of  society  reports. 
Pamphlet  author  entries   should  be  assigned  by   the 

Volumes  cataloger  before  the  volume  is  indexed,  in 

order  to  assure  agreement  between  the  entries  in  the 
catalog  and  the  index  of  the  volume.  The  binding  of 
the  pamphlet  in  its  original  cover  is  a  distinct  aid  to  the 
reader  in  locating  the  desired  reference  in  the  volume, 


L 


io  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

as  are  index  tags  with  numbers  corresponding  to  the 
numbers  in  the  volume  index.  The  chief  objection  to 
the  pamphlet  volume  is  that  only  one  person  at  a  time 
has  access  to  the  pamphlets  on  a  subject,  and  that  is  a 
serious  impediment,  for  instance,  in  the  case  of  material 
for  debates  where  many  individuals  are  using  the  same 
material  simultaneously.  It  might  also  be  further  urged 
that  the  loss  of  such  a  volume  is  likely  to  be  a  greater 
calamity  than  is  likely  to  occur  where  the  vertical  filing 
system  is  in  use. 

Where  pamphlet  boxes  are  used,  the  relative  virtues 
of  the  open  and  closed-top  boxes  should  be  given  careful 
consideration  before  a  decision  is  reached.    The  box  which 

Pamphlet  ls  °Pen  onry  at  tne  back  gives  better  protec- 

Boxes  tion  from  dust,  but  does  not  insure  against 

loss  as  well  as  the  open-top  variety.  The  transfer  case 
answers  both  of  these  objections,  as  does  the  hinged-top 
box,  but  there  is  a  corresponding  increase  in  cost  of 
equipment. 

Of  all  the  methods  so  far  devised  for  the  handling 
of  ephemeral  material,  none  has  equaled  the  vertical  file 
as  a  means  of  arranging  and  storing  such  collections. 
Vertical  There  are  variations  of  this  method  such  as 

File  that  in  use  in  the  Economics  Division  of  the 

New  York  Public  Library,  where  a  special  cloth-covered 
box,  1024"  x  9"  x  8",  with  unattached  covers,  holding 
mounts  10^2 "  x  7*^",  are  used.  These  boxes  are  designed 
to  fit  the  ordinary  library  shelf  and  are  easily  handled. 
The  assistants  in  the  Department  claim  that  these  units 
are  more  easily  used  and  kept  in  order  than  the  usual 
type  of  file,  but  this  type  of  file  is  an  exception  and  not 
the  rule  in  libraries  where  there  are  large  collections. 
The  burden  of  proof  as  to  the   real  gain  lies  with  its 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  n 

advocates,   as  what  it  gains  in  cheapness  is  more  than 
made  up  in  the  extra  shelf  room  required. 

The  catalogs  of  dealers  in  library  and  office  supplies 
are  the  best  sources  of  information  for  the  propective 
purchaser  of  vertical  file  cases,  but  experience  teaches 
Selection  tnat  to°  mucn  economy  in  the  original  pur- 

of  Equip-  chase  is  likely  to  be  paid  for  in  expenditure 

ment  of  muscle  and  temper  later,  and  that  the 

metal  case  is  lighter  to  operate  and  does  not  swell  in 
damp  weather  as  does  the  wooden  case. 

There  is  also  a  growing  preference  for  the  legal-size 
over  the  letter-size  file,  since  it  allows  better  facilities 
for  caring  for  over-size  material,  and  permits  two  ordinary 
pamphlets  to  stand  side  by  side,  as  cannot  be  done  with 
the  letter-size  file. 

The  question  of  filing  devices  is  next  in  order,  and 
Filing  decision  must  be  made  as  to  whether  the 

Devices  stereotyped  folder  of  the  filing  companies 

or  some  other  form  of  container  is  to  be  used. 

The  objection  to  be  kept  in  mind  as  to  the  folder  is 
that  where  a  great  amount  of  material  is  in  constant 
use,  it  is  necessary  for  the  person  filing  to  reach  to  the 
bottom  of  the  drawer  in  order  to  be  assured  that  the 
material  is  inserted  in  the  folder  and  not  between  folders. 
Another  strong  objection  is  the  tendency  of  the  folders 
to  "buckle"  under  the  weight  of  the  material,  making  it 
easy  for  a  folder  to  slip  down  below  its  neighbors  and 
for  the  subject  to  thus  be  overlooked. 

For  pamphlet  material  the  envelope  is  rapidly  replac- 
ing the  folder,  since  it  avoids  these  two  difficulties,  and 
also  prevents  clippings  from  working  out  at  the  ends  and 
being  crumpled  in  the  bottom  of  the  drawer.  A  heavy 
quality  of  manila  envelope  has  been  used  in  the  Public 


12  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

Library  of  the  District  of  Columbia  for  many  years,  and 
has  yielded  great  satisfaction. 

Necessity  is  often  the  mother  of  invention  in  filing 
devices  as  in  other  lines  of  work.  During  the  War,  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  duplicate  stationery  supplies 
already  in  use.  Among  other  things,  the  stock  used  for 
Government  Department  envelopes  became  so  light  as 
to  be  useless  for  the  files  of  the  Food  Administration, 
where  these  envelopes  had  been  used  originally  to  save 
time  in  getting  the  files  in  operation.  These  heavy- 
weight envelopes  had  been  prepared  by  sealing  the  flap 
and  cutting  open  the  bottom  fold  to  make  a  straight  top 
for  our  container.  With  the  failure  of  the  stock,  it  was 
a  problem  to  get  anything  suitable  for  use,  for  the  files 
were  in  such  constant  use  that  only  strong  materials 
would  stand  up  under  the  strain.  We  finally  hit  upon 
the  expedient  of  manufacturing  an  expansive  envelope 
from  folders  through  the  use  of  gummed  paper  which 
stores  use  for  the  sealing  of  parcels.  This  paper  was 
cut  to  the  proper  length  to  fit  the  ends  of  the  folder.  A 
margin  sufficient  to  give  a  strong  hold  was  pasted  to 
either  side  of  the  folder,  and  a  longitudinal  fold  was  made 
in  the  resulting  slack.  This  product  was  much  stronger 
than  would  be  imagined,  and  the  cost  of  renewal  of  end 
pieces  was  very  little  in  either  time  or  money.  This  is 
recorded  in  case  it  should  be  of  assistance  to  some  libra- 
rian struggling  against  odds  in  the  lack  of  supplies. 

In  the  New  York  City  Municipal  Reference  Library, 
a  new  type  of  filing  envelope  for  clippings  has  been 
devised.  Heavy  cardboard,  15  x  9  inches,  has  onion 
skin  paper  pasted  on  three  sides,  to  form  an  envelope 
open  at  the  top.  The  subject  heading  is  printed  at  the 
top  of  the  folder  and  the  clippings  slipped  under  the 
transparent   face  of  the  envelope  so  that  the  headlines 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  13 

and  beginnings  of  the  article  may  be  read  at  a  glance. 
Pasting  is  unnecessary  with  this  device,  its  originators 
claim.     The  Library  Bureau  manufactures  the  product. 

After  provision  has  been  made  for  the  actual  storage, 

the  most  vital  problem  is  that  of  a  classification.    Probably 

because   they   do   not   personally   meet   the 

Classification    problem>  nine  men  out  0f  ten  WJH  declare 

for  a  decimal  classification. 

Decimal  vs.  Alphabetical 

An  interesting  treatise  could  be  prepared  by  any  one 
with  the  time  and  inclination,  on  the  reasons  why,  in 
view  of  the  simplicity  and  flexibility  of  the  alphabetical 
subject  arrangement  at  hand,  so  many  spend  the  time  to 
make  a  classification  on  a  decimal  basis,  which  usually 
breaks  down  of  its  own  weight  and  always  requires  an 
index  to  make  it  intelligible,  whereas  the  alphabetical 
subject  arrangement  indexes  itself.  Few  would  advocate 
making  a  dictionary  or  telephone  directory  on  a  classified 
basis  only,  and  why  a  file?  Any  one  who  can  read  and 
write  can  use  a  file  which  is  alphabetical,  and  most  mate- 
rial can  be  handled  in  this  way,  or  in  some  variation  of 
the  method.  More  and  more  the  special  libraries  are 
coming  to  adopt  it  as  a  matter  of  course,  for  in  case  of  a 
change  of  personnel  there  is  less  question  of  difficulty  in 
keeping  the  file  in  working  order.  It  has  become  a 
natural  method  to  many,  for  the  catalogs  of  practically 
all  public  libraries  are  so  arranged,  and  the  staff  and  the 
public  are  both  familiar  with  the  lines  of  thought. 

For  an  example  of  the  decimal  system  gone  wild,  one 
should  visit  the  "morgue"  of  the  Columbia  University 
School  of  Journalism  where  949.6.08.324.1913  indicates 
the   Macedonian   War    of    1913.      The   Dewey   Decimal 


14  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

Classification  is  too  unevenly  expanded  to  be  really  useful 
for  pamphlet  material  as  it  stands,  and  much  time  and  an 
exceptional  type  of  mind  are  required  to  make  satisfactory 
expansions  for  particular  subjects. 

Geographic 

A  variation  of  the  alphabetical  arrangement  which 
is  indispensible  in  dealing  with  some  sorts  of  material,  is 
the  geographical,  with  subject  sub-headings.  In  such 
special  libraries  as  have  material  dealing  almost  entirely 
with* foreign  countries,  this  is  the  logical  arrangement. 
In  fact  the  whole  question  of  classification  and  subject- 
headings  is  controlled  by  the  nature  of  the  material,  the 
use  it  is  to  meet,  and  the  way  in  which  it  is  called 
for  by  those  for  whom  it  is  intended.  A  concrete  illus- 
tration of  this  control  of  the  arrangement  by  the  point 
of  view  of  the  users  was  experienced  by  the  writer  when, 
after  the  closing  of  the  Food  Administration,  permission 
was  given  to  take  some  of  the  general  material  from  the 
files  for  use  in  similar  work  in  the  Savings  Division  of 
the  Treasury  Department  in  connection  with  the  War 
Savings  Campaign.  In  the  Food  Administration,  some 
material  on  government  finance  was  naturally  given 
a  heading  with  the  emphasis  on  the  country — e.g., 
"FRANCE — Finance."  When  this  same  material  was 
to  be  used  in  the  Treasury,  it  became  immediately  evident 
that  with  the  change  in  view-point  there  must  be  a  cor- 
responding change  of  heading,  which  now  became 
"FINANCE— France." 

An  unusual  combination  of  the  alphabetical  subject 
and  the  geographical  file  was  developed  in  the  Food 
Administration  Library  for  the  purpose  of  dealing  with 
the  publications  of  the  Home  Economics  Departments  of 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  15 

the  various  Colleges,  Universities,  and  State  Departments 
of  Agriculture.  As  it  was  necessary  to  produce  the 
material  on  demand  either  as  "all  of  the  publications  of 
a  stated  University"  or  "everything  on  cottage-cheese," 
the  material  was  collected  in  duplicate  and  arranged  in 
one  case  in  a  regular  subject  file;  in  the  other,  copies 
were  arranged  by  State,  subdivided  by  University  or 
Department  of  Agriculture,  with  an  index  card  at  the 
front  of  each  subdivision  listing  the  publications  on  file. 

This  arrangement  was,  of  course,  made  for  an  emer- 
gency bureau  where  time  was  an  important  consideration 
in  the  efficiency  of  the  work,  and  where  two  very  different 
points  of  view  were  to  be  served.  The  writers  of  the 
Publicity  Department  needed  the  subject  material,  but 
the  workers  in  Home  Economics  and  Dietetics  were  more 
often  concerned  to  know  what  Cornell  had  published  on 
a  given  subject,  or  if  Wisconsin  agreed  with  a  particular 
statement  as  to  milk  in  the  diet,  or  which  foods  were  the 
richest  in  vitamines. 

The  beginner  in  this  work  will  find  that  the  A.L.A. 
List  of  Subject  Headings  is  too  general  to  be  useful  as 
anything  but  a  hint  in  suggesting  headings  and  cross- 
Guides  in  references.  The  "Reader's  Guide"  and  the 
the  Choice  "Industrial  Arts  Index"  are  more  useful  in 
of  Subject  that  they  are  issued  so  frequently,  and  their 
Headings  headings  therefore  keep  abreast  of  the  ques- 

tions of  the  day,  and  the  new  developments  of  old  subjects 
are  covered.  It  is  only  natural  that  headings  intended 
for  books  should  be  inadequate  for  materials  which  have 
as  yet  hardly  been  incorporated  in  books  (which  is  the 
reason  for  the  existence  of  the  collection).  The  librarian 
will  more  often  than  not  be  forced  to  revert  to  the  process 
of  "making  it  up  out  of  her  own  head"  only  being  careful 


16  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

to  keep  all  headings  as  simple  as  is  consistent  with  clarity 
of  meaning. 

There  may  be  as  many  methods  of  arranging  the 
routine  of  assigning  subject  headings  as  there  are  libra- 
rians, but  for  the  beginner  it  may  be  well  to  indicate  one 
Method  of  of  which  the  simplicity  and  workability  has 
Procedure  been  proved.  In  the  first  place  it  must  be 
understood  that  one  person  must  have  the  final  word  as 
to  the  choice  of  headings.  This  function  cannot  be 
successfully  delegated  to  more,  for  no  two  people  think 
exactly  alike,  and  indeed  it  is  necessary  that  the  one 
responsible  for  the  final  form  of  the  headings  be  sure 
that  she  thought  yesterday  in  exactly  the  same  form  that 
she  does  today.  To  this  end,  it  is  essential  that  an  exact 
record  of  the  headings  made  be  kept  on  the  desk  of  the 
assignee  for  constant  reference,  and  even  in  the  best 
regulated  libraries,  it  is  well  to  compare  the  headings  in 
the  file  with  this  list  from  time  to  time,  for  mistakes  are 
bound  to  creep  in. 

A  card  file  is  the  most  convenient  form  in  which  to 
keep  this  list,  as  changes  are  thus  most  easily  handled. 
A  monthly,  or  bi-monthly,  inspection  of  the  list  of  subject 
List  of  headings  by  the  librarian,  will  be  a  help  in 

Subject  keeping    the    list    from    becoming    unduly 

Headings  expanded  through  the  practical  duplication 

of  some  headings  and  in  keeping  closely  related  material 
together.  This  is  essential  where  the  assistants  are  not 
thoroughly  trained  in  this  work,  and  are  therefore  lacking 
in  judgment  as  to  what  is  related  material. 

One  is  inclined  to  be  rather  frightened  by  the,  at  first, 
rapid  growth  of  this  file,  but  as  material  accumulates 
there  is  less  and  less  need  for  new  headings.  The  subject 
heading  should  occupy  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of  the 
card  and  the  cross-references  the  right-hand  side.  In  the 
same  manner,  the  subject  headings  should  be  printed  or 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  17 

typed  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner  of  the  jacket  in  the 
file  case,  leaving  the  right-hand  side  free  for  cross-ref- 
erences, which  will  in  some  cases,  in  a  well-constructed 
file,  almost  cover  that  side  of  the  jacket.  The  more 
cross-references  there  are,  the  more  useful  the  file  be- 
comes, but  it  cannot  be  too  clearly  understood  that  head- 
ings and  cross-references  on  the  face  of  the  jacket  and 
those  on  the  card  in  the  record  file,  must  agree  in  every 
particular. 

Another  matter  which  it  is  easier  to  attend  to  in  the 
very  beginning  is  that  of  the  "refer  froms."  These  cor- 
respond to  the  tracings  on  the  author  card  in  the  case  of 
the  regular  books  in  the  catalog  of  any  public  library, 
and  merely  serve  as  a  guide  to  the  one  in  charge  of  a  file 
in  case  of  the  removal  of  a  subject,  insuring  the  crossing 
out  of  cross-references  from  the  withdrawn  subject. 
These  can  be  kept  on  the  reverse  side  of  the  card  file  or 
working  list  of  headings. 

When  geographical  headings  are  used  for  the  first 
division,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  a  secondary  card  file  of 
the  sub-heads  used  and  a  list  on  the  card  of  the  countries 
to  which  that  particular  sub-head  applies.    For  example: 

POLITICS  AND  GOVERNMENT— Cabinet 

Argentine 

Bolivia 

Bulgaria 

Chile 

Czechoslovakia 

France 

Great  Britain 

Italy 
Such  a  card  cannot  be  kept  in  strict  alphabetical  order, 
but  it  is  a  distinct  help  to  rewrite  and  re-alphabet  it  from 
time  to  time.     This  file  of  geographical  sub-heads  does 
not  in  any  way  do  away  with  the   regular  card  file  of 


18  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

subject  headings,  being  merely  an  additional  aid  to  the 
classifier  and  the  people  using  the  file. 

In  the  matter  of  assigning  subject  headings,  especially 
in  the  case  of  newspaper  clippings,  the  beginner  should 
be  warned  against  the  fatal  mistake  of  reading  the  head- 
Rules  for  nnes  only>  and  taking  their  word  for  the 
Assigning  content  of  the  clipping.  The  people  who 
Headings  assign  newspaper  headlines,  and  the  libra- 

rian, work  on  entirely  different  principles,  and  the  latter 
must  read  the  article  thoroughly  before  venturing  to  as- 
sign a  heading. 

The  rules  formulated  for  the  Newark  Public  Library 
in  the  use  of  subject  headings  for  files  cover  the  ground 
so  well  that  they  should  be  quoted  in  full  as  they  were 
printed  in  the  volume  on  "The  Vertical  File"  in  the 
"Modern  American  Library  Series" : 

Printed  headings  of  Vertical  File  are  to  be  followed 
in  all  vertical  files  in  every  respect. 

The  headings  are  to  be  written  on  the  folders  in  the 
same  place.  Lists  of  societies,  whether  made  in  or  for 
the  vertical  file  or  for  other  purposes,  are  to  follow  pre- 
cisely the  rules  made  for  like  entries  in  the  main  library 
reference  file,  whether  the  societies  thus  listed  are  actually 
to  be  found  in  that  file  or  not. 

Every  department  or  branch  which  has  a  vertical  file 
must  at  once  check  its  headings  by  the  printed  list  and 
make  an  accurate  copy  on  sheets  of  all  the  entries  that 
are  not  found  in  the  printed  list  or  that  vary  from  it  in 
any  respect.  In  making  this  list  change  as  many  headings 
as  possible  to  conform  to  the  printed  list,  in  order  that  the 
list  of  variations  may  be  as  brief  as  possible. 

These  additions  and  variations  with  the  material  to 
which  they  refer,  must  be  submitted  to  the  assistant  in 
charge  of  the  vertical  file  in  the  main  library,  for  her 
changes  and  approval,  at  once. 

She  will  return  these  lists,  revised,  and  her  revision 
must  be  follozved  absolutely.   After  these  lists  have  been 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  19 

sent  to  her,  no  entries  other  than  those  found  in  the 
printed  list  are  to  be  added  to  any  vertical  file  until  those 
entries,  with  the  material  to  which  they  refer,  have  been 
submitted  to  her  for  revision  and  approval.  These  sug- 
gestions can  be  sent  on  Wednesdays  only. 

It  is  most  essential  that  all  vertical  files  be  consistent 
with  one  another.  They  can  thus  be  made  consistent 
only  by  one  person  and  that  person  must  have  knowledge 
of  and  skill  in  cataloging. 

Appeals  from  and  arguments  for  changes  in  the  de- 
cisions of  the  assistant  in  charge  must  be  put  in  writing 
and  addressed  to  the  librarian. 

These  rules  for  the  coordination  of  the  files  of  a  large 
system  of  branch  libraries  or  the  departments  in  a  large 
library,  are  very  important,  as  are  the  following  rules 
governing  the  assignment  of  the  headings  in  the  same 
library. 

1.  Examine  the  subject  matter  of  each  piece. 

2.  Do  not  use  a  heading  simply  because  it  occurs 
in  the  title  or  headline. 

Rules  for  3-     Consult  the  official  list  of  headings 

Assigning  and  if  in  doubt  compare  with  the  corres- 
Subject  ponding  folder  in  the  file. 

Headings  4      jf  the  seiectecj  heading  appears   in 

the  title  of  the  pamphlet  or  in  the  headlines  of  the 
clipping  it  is  to  be  underscored  in  pencil. 

5.  To  avoid  ambiguity  in  case  of  inserted  headings, 
the  first  word  is  to  be  twice  underscored. 

6.  If  the  heading  is  supplied  it  is  to  be  written  in 
pencil  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner. 

7.  For  new  headings,  after  examination  of  subject 
matter,  consult  the  Readers'  Guide,  and  other  lists  of 
headings. 

8.  Avoid  unnecessary  subdivisions  under  subjects 
where  there  is  little  material. 

9.  In  the  application  of  the  principles  of  subject 
headings,  as  stated  in  Cutter's  Rules  for  a  Dictionary 
Catalogue  and  in  the  preface  of  the  A.  L.  A.  subject 
headings,  note  the  following  variations: 


20  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

From  the  briefer  and  more  temporary  character 
of  the  material  to  be  treated,  it  is  often  possible  to 
give  a  more  definite  or  'catchy'  heading  than  would 
describe  or  befit  the  dignity  of  a  printed  book. 

Few  general  references  and  more  specific  cross 
references  between  coordinate  and  nearly  synonymous 
terms  are  required. 

Make  "see"  references  for  inverted  headings  and 
from  any  term  never  to  be  used  as  the  heading  chosen. 

Do  not  refer  from  a  subject  to  its  subheads. 

10.  The  new  headings  are  to  be  added  to  the  Offi- 
cial List  of  Headings  as  soon  as  approved  by  the  head 
of  the  department  and  the  necessary  cross  references  are 
made  on  this  list  and  on  the  V.  F.  folders. 

Headings  for  the  files  of  special  libraries  would  often 

make  the  hair   of  the  conventional  user  of  the  A.L.A. 

Subject  Headings  rise  in  horror,  because  of  the  number 

^._  of   subdivisions   which   the   requirement  of 

Difference  .  . 

Between  speed  in  service  imposes.     It  is  a  very  dii- 

Headings  for  ferent  matter  whether  the  material  is  re- 
Public  and  quired  in  the  mass  or  some  very  specific 
Special  article  is   desired.      In   the   special   library, 

where  the  valuable  clippings  are  routed 
through  the  various  offices  before  the  headings  are  sup- 
lied,  some  particular  article  is  sure  to  impress  itself  on 
the  mind  of  some  impatient  executive,  and  it  is  the 
business  of  the  librarian  to  produce  it  upon  demand,  no 
matter  what  time  has  elapsed  since  it  reached  the  file. 
Hence  the  reason  for  very  close  subdivision  of  headings. 
In  the  matter  of  the  preparation  of  the  material  for  the 
files  there  is  sufficient  difference  between  the  treatment 
Preparation  of  the  pamphlet  and  the  clipping  to  justify 
of  Pamphlet  separate  comment  on  the  processes.  In  the 
Material  case  of  the  pamphlet,  the  routine  is  some- 

what simpler  than  is  the  case  with  clippings,  so  that  may 
be  disposed  of  first. 


CARp  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  21 

In  the  larger  libraries  it  is  customary  to  send  the 
pamphlets  which  are  not  to  be  bound  separately,  to  the 
head  of  the  department  dealing  with  the  subject  treated 
in  the  pamphlet,  who  either  assigns  the  necessary  heading 
or,  in  the  case  of  a  new  heading  being  required,  suggests 
a  possible  heading  in  writing  and  passes  that,  attached 
to  the  pamphlet,  along  to  the  person  responsible  for  the 
assigning  of  headings.  It  is  of  course  understood  that 
every  piece  of  material  added  to  the  file  should  be  stamped 
with  the  date  of  acquisition,  and  in  most  cases  a  lack 
of  this  date  is  sufficient  ground  for  the  rejection  of  the 
article  altogether.  When  the  new  subject  has  been  as- 
signed, the  heading  should  be  written  or  printed  in  the 
upper  left-hand  corner  of  the  cover,  or  should  the  title 
contain  the  identical  heading,  a  clear  underscoring  of 
the  word  or  words  is  sufficient.  A  card  bearing  the  new 
subject  should  be  inserted  in  the  public  catalog  in  order 
to  call  the  attention  of  the  users,  both  among  the  public 
and  the  staff,  that  more  than  book  resources  of  the  library 
are  available.  In  the  Public  Library  of  Washington, 
D.  C,  such  a  card  has  the  subject  heading  in  red,  as  do 
all  subject  cards  in  the  catalog  of  that  library,  and  it  is 
filed  at  the  end  of  the  book  cards  on  that  subject  and 
bears  the  following  legend : 

For  pamphlets  and  clippings  on  this  subject 
consult  the  assistant  in  the  Reference  Room. 

In  the  case  of  the  Industrial  Arts  Department,  those 
words  are  substituted  for  Reference  Room.  Such  an 
entry  has  the  advantage  of  calling  attention  to  auxiliary 
material  and  yet  there  is  no  necessity  of  revising  or 
changing  the  statement  so  long  as  the  subject  remains 
in  the  file,  and  with  the  withdrawal  of  the  subject  there 
is  occasion  to  withdraw  but  one  entry  in  the  catalog. 


22  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

In  the  case  of  clippings,  the  procedure  may  be  as 
follows : 

In  the  selection  and  checking  of  the  papers  and 
periodicals,  the  best  available  experience  and  knowledge 
of  affairs  should  be  requisitioned,  for  the  work  should 
Preparation  never  at  this  stage  be  intrusted  to  untrained 
of  Clippings  or  inexperienced  assistants  as  "busy  work." 
When  once  the  checking  is  done,  however,  the  actual 
clipping,  dating,  and  other  preparation  may  be  intrusted 
to  the  lower  grade  assistants,  provided  those  of  careful 
and  accurate  habits  can  be  secured. 

One  point  in  regard  to  clippings  cannot  be  too  well 
emphasized :  that  is,  nothing  should  find  its  way  to  the 
file  which  does  not  bear  the  date,  and  source  from  which 
it  is  derived.  Clippings  lacking  these  pieces  of  informa- 
tion might  as  well  be  filed  in  the  waste  basket  first  as  last. 

In  a  special  library  it  is  the  general  practice  to  circu- 
late the  important  new  material  (either  in  full  or 
abstract)  among  the  heads  of  departments,  for  their 
information,  before  the  headings  are  attached.  A  very 
satisfactory  method  of  thus  serving  the  personnel  is 
reached  by  selecting  a  folder  of  a  color  which  is  not  used 
for  any  other  purpose,  pasting  on  the  outside  a  type- 
written list  of  the  persons  to  be  served,  in  the  order  in 
which  the  material  is  to  be  routed  to  them,  and  using 
on  the  inside  strips  of  gummed  tabs  known  as  LT-File-M. 
These  make  it  possible  to  attach  an  enormous  number  of 
clippings  to  the  folder,  have  them  held  securely  in  place 
and  yet  be  easily  detachable  when  desired  for  filing. 

When  the  clippings  return  to  the  library,  they  should 
be  sorted  by  a  competent  person  into  those  for  which 
subjects  are  already  extant  and  those  requiring  new 
subjects  to  be  made.  The  first  set  need  only  have  the 
appropriate  heading  added  to  be  ready,  or,  if  it  is  the 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  23 

policy  of  the  library  to  mount  the  majority  of  its  clip- 
pings, to  be  mounted  and  filed.  For  the  special  library — 
or  any  collection  where  the  material  may  have  more  than 
a  passing  value — the  mounting  of  the  clippings  on  a 
manila  sheet,  cut  to  the  proper  size  to  slip  easily  into  the 
filing  device  used,  is  to  be  advocated,  but  for  use  in  a 
public  library,  as  reference  on  current  topics,  it  is  not 
advisable. 

One  point  should  be  emphasized.  All  clippings  should 
be  cut  carefully  and  neatly,  one  column  wide  with  a 
joining  strip  of  paper  on  the  back  where  the  article  has 
exceeded  a  column  in  length  or  has  been  continued,  in 
our  inconsiderate  way,  to  another  page.  If  an  article  is 
left  with  protruding  angles  and  corners,  it  is  practically 
sure  of  mutilation  before  its  usefulness  is  over.  If  the 
article  covers  the  larger  part  of  a  page,  it  is  better  to 
leave  some  extraneous  material  attached  than  to  cut 
jagged  corners  to  be  torn  in  use.  The  gummed,  trans- 
parent paper  used  by  musicians  to  mend  music  is  quite 
practical  for  joining  the  clippings  into  strips,  and  where 
the  article  is  of  unusual  length,  it  may  be  folded  and 
held  securely  by  a  clip.  If  the  person  who  checks  the 
clippings  underscores  with  a  colored  pencil  the  important 
passages,  it  will  aid  the  one  who  assigns  the  headings 
and,  later,  the  librarian  in  assembling  material  in  response 
to  a  demand  for  information.  In  debate  material,  it  is 
a  help  to  have  an  indication  as  to  whether  the  article  is 
affirmative  or  negative  in  its  bearing. 

In  the  Newark  Public  Library,  great  emphasis  is 
placed  on  the  weeding  process — so  much  indeed,  that  the 
probable  date  of  discard  is  stamped  on  the  clipping  when 
Weeding  the   date   and   source  are  indicated.     This 

of  Files  precaution  seems  rather  unnecessary  as  the 

weeding   process   is,   in   a   manner,   automatic   and   con- 


24  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

tinuous.  When  new  material  is  added  to  a  subject,  it  is 
natural  to  examine  the  other  contents  of  the  folder  and 
eliminate  such  material  as  is  superseded  by  the  new. 
Annual  reports,  of  which  the  last  only  is  kept  in  the 
vertical  file,  naturally  are  removed  on  the  addition  of  a 
later  number,  and  the  too-rapid  growth  of  a  subject  makes 
it  either  necessary  to  add  another  container  with  the 
same  subject,  or  to  weed  out  unnecessary  material.  Or, 
as  is  the  case  in  the  Washington  Public  Library,  when 
there  is  too  much  material  to  be  accommodated  easily  in 
the  file,  the  entire  subject  is  removed  to  a  transfer  case 
(that  is,  a  box  with  a  lid  and  a  flap  at  the  side — Globe 
Wernicke  No.  591)  and  a  guide  card  with  the  subject  is 
inserted  where  the  material  was  removed,  referring  to 
the  shelves  where  the  boxes  are  placed  in  close  proximity 
to  the  file  cases.  This  treatment  prevents  the  containers 
from  becoming  too  bulky  and  thus  being  hard  to  handle 
and  being  the  cause  of  constant  renewal  of  containers. 

Where  a  large  number  of  bulky  pamphlets  are  required 
in  series,  such  as  trade  catalogs,  telephone  directories, 
Governmental  reports  (such  as  the  Soil  Surveys  of  the 
Newark  Department   of  Agriculture,   or   the    Spirit 

Color  Band  Leveling  series  of  the  Geological  Survey) 
System  a  system  of  colored  strips  of  paper  to  catch 

the  eye  and  indicate  a  mistake  in  alphabeting  in  filing  has 
been  devised  by  the  Newark  Public  Library.  This  color 
band  system  should  be  used  where  the  value  of  the 
material  is  less  than  the  cost  of  cataloging,  but  where 
the  form  and  frequent  use  make  the  proper  sequence  on 
the  shelf  hard  to  maintain  by  the  ordinary  devices. 

Bands  of  gummed  paper  of  many  colors,  made  by  the 
Dennison  Manufacturing  Company,  are  pasted  across  the 
backs  of  the  pamphlets  at  different  heights,  thus  deter- 
mining the  relative  location  on  the  shelves  and  showing 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AXD  CLIPPINGS  25 

at  a  glance  where  a  number  is  out  of  its  proper  order. 
Pamphlets  too  small  for  the  designated  guide  are  placed 
in  manila  envelopes  and  the  band  pasted  at  the  proper 
height  on  the  envelope.  Pamphlets  too  large  are  shelved 
otherwise  and  a  cardboard  dummy  bearing  the  band 
at  the  proper  position  is  placed  on  the  shelf.  Seven 
different  colors  are  used:  dark  blue,  orange,  pink,  green, 
light  blue,  red,  and  yellow.  A  guide  card  8x11  inches 
is  made  for  each  color,  and  the  gummed  bands  three 
and  a  half  inches  long  and  a  quarter  of  an  inch  wide,  are 
pasted  over  one  edge  of  the  card  so  as  to  make  a  measure 
for  use  in  applying  the  strips  to  the  pamphlets.  The 
strips  are  applied  at  intervals  of  a  quarter  of  an  inch. 
By  these  seven  guides  of  seven  different  colors,  the 
alphabet  is  divided  into  112  parts.  The  divisions  of  the 
first  guide,  dark  blue,  for  example  are  as  follows : 

Aa-Ae-Am-An-Ap-Ar-As-At-Au 
Ba-Be-Bi-Bl-Bo-Br-Bu 

Each  guide  reads  from  the  bottom  up,  Aa  being  at  the 

bottom  and  Bu  at  the  top  of  the  guide. 

To  determine  the  color  band  to  be  used  on  any 
pamphlet,  select  the  guide  which  includes  the  first  two 
letters  of  the  subject  of  that  pamphlet,  as  for  instance 
a  pamphlet  on  Bankruptcy  would  call  for  the  tenth  guide 
and  would  have  a  dark  blue  band  across  the  back  at  the 
same  height  as  that  which  indicates  Ba  on  the  guide. 

The  pamphlets  and  books  thus  marked  are  arranged 
on  the  shelves  first  by  colors,  and  second  by  the  height 
of  the  strip.  The  great  advantage  of  this  method  of 
marking  is  that  it  enables  one  to  tell  at  a  glance  when 
a  pamphlet  is  out  of  place,  as  a  pamphlet  with  a  blue 
band  at  a  height  of  five  inches  is  quickly  noticed  if  it 
appears  among  those  bearing  a  band,  even  of  the  same 
color,   which   is   only   three   inches   high.     The   same   is 


26  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

true  of  a  green  band  appearing  among  those  of  a  different 
color.  Even  when  a  band  is  on  a  thin  cardboard  dummy 
it  is  quickly  apparent  when  out  of  file.  This  system 
makes  it  possible  to  run  the  eye  over  a  collection  of  a 
thousand  pamphlets  and  tell  in  a  few  moments  whether 
they  are  in  proper  order. 

The  system  is  capable  of  indefinite  expansion.  By 
using  a  band  of  one  color  at  the  top,  seven  different  colors 
may  be  used  to  denote  seven  different  collections.  Other 
combinations  may  be  made  by  the  use  of  two  or  more 
bands  of  the  same  color  and  so  on.  For  the  arrangement 
of  books  and  documents  by  states  or  countries,  the  same 
bands  are  used,  but  they  represent  places  instead  of  sub- 
divisions of  the  alphabet.  This  method  brings  together 
all  in  one  place,  the  publications  about  a  certain  state, 
followed  immediately  by  all  publications  relating  to  parts 
or  subdivisions  of  the  state. 

The  chief  advantages  of  this  system  may  be  sum- 
marized as : 

Making  it  possible  to  shelve  pamphlets  the  same  day 
that  they  are  received ; 

Pamphlets  too  thin  to  bear  call  numbers  are  easily 
kept  in  proper  order. 

The  cost  is  nominal. 

The  vertical  file  is  valuable  as  a  source  of  quick  ref- 
erence, but  a  collection  which  is  purely  for  reference  loses 
at  least  half  of  its  value  to  the  library  and  the  community. 
Circulation  ^n  tne  Newark  Public  Library  the  question 
of  File  has  been  solved  by  building  up  a  duplicate 

Material  file  for  circulation,  in  which  the  preparation 

is  exactly  the  same  as  in  the  reference  file,  the  only 
difference  being  that  in  the  second  file  the  pieces  are  all 
stamped  "Lending"  so  that  the  contents  of  the  two  files 
will  not  be  confused. 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  27 

In  this  circulation  file  there  is  in  addition  to  the  gen- 
eral material,  a  large  quantity  of  poetry,  and  articles 
dealing  with  holidays  and  special  days  and  celebrations 
for  the  use  in  schools.  In  this  file  the  clippings  are 
mounted  and  magazine  excerpts  are  fastened  into  Rugby 
paper  covers  folded  to  measure  eight  by  eleven  inches,  on 
which  the  subject  headings  are  printed.  The  library  finds 
that  it  is  necessary  to  mount  lending  material  and  protect 
it  by  an  outer  covering,  both  on  account  of  the  system  of 
charging  and  still  more  to  impress  the  borrower  with  the 
value  of  the  clipping. 

Manila  envelopes  12  x  9^4  inches  are  provided  for 
the  lending  material  on  which  is  pasted  a  multigraphed 
slip  which  reads  as  follows : 

The  Free  Public  Library  of  Newark,  N.  J. 

Clippings,  poems  and  leaflets  are  lent  for  one  month. 
For  any  lot  not  returned  or  renewed  a  fine  of  two 
cents  a  day  for  each  lot  will  be  charged.  Please  write 
your  name  on  the  package. 

J.  C.  Dana,  Librarian. 

In  charging  a  package  of  material  a  manila  slip, 
similar  to  the  book  slip  is  used,  at  the  top  of  which  V.F. 
is  written,  then  the  date  and  the  borrower's  number  (as 
in  the  case  of  books),  and  below  this  the  number  of 
articles  taken.  Each  is  dated  and  has  the  borrower's 
number  written  on  the  back.  After  the  items  are  placed 
in  the  envelope  the  date  is  stamped  on  the  instruction 
legend  and  on  the  reader's  card,  where  it  is  followed  by 
the  letters  V.F.  The  circulation  of  vertical  file  material 
is  very  large. 

In  the  Washington  Library  the  process  is  much  sim- 
pler. Here  there  is  no  duplicate  file  for  lending,  but 
duplicates  are  saved  for  that  purpose  and  any  material 


28  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 

is  loaned  at  the  discretion  of  the  reference  librarian.  All 
material  is  loaned  from  the  reference  desk,  and  the  charge 
is  made  on  a  3"  x  5"  slip,  by  simply  writing  "Pamphlets" 
at  the  top  of  the  slip  and  listing  the  subjects  covered  and 
the  number  of  items  under  each  subject.  The  name  and 
address  of  the  borrower  are  added  and  the  total  number 
of  pieces  is  written  in  the  upper  left-hand  corner.  There 
is  no  charge  made  on  the  borrower's  card,  but  the  card 
must  be  produced  to  show  that  the  would  be  patron  is  a 
bona-fide  user  of  the  library.  The  material  is  slipped 
into  a  large  manila  envelope,  on  which  is  the  Library 
stamp,  and  the  date  of  issue,  together  with  the  number 
of  items  taken,  is  noted  on  the  right-hand  margin.  The 
time  limit  on  this  material,  does  not  usually  exceed  a 
week,  although  the  period  may  be  shortened  or  lengthened 
at  the  discretion  of  the  Reference  Librarian. 

The  files  and  methods  of  the  Newark  and  Washington 
Libraries  are  used  as  examples  because  they  have  been 
in  operation  many  years  and  have  proved  their  value. 
The  original  vision,  in  each  case,  was  broad  and  in  con- 
sequence a  great  work  has  been  accomplished  for  the 
community. 

The  hoarding  library  is  an  anachronism  and  the  old 
reverence  for  anything  in  print  must  give  way  before  a 
new  creed,  which  has  been  put  into  terse  form  by  the 
New  head  of  the  Newark  Library,  "Select  a  few 

Library  of  the  best  books  and  keep  them  as  before, 

Creed  but  also  select  from  the  vast  flood  of  print 

the  things  your  constituency  will  find  helpful,  make  them 
available  with  a  minimum  of  expense,  and  discard  them 
as  soon  as  their  usefulness  is  past." 

In  addition  to  a  familiarity  with  general  library 
methods,  especially  cataloging,  there  are  certain  personal 
qualities  necessary  for  a  successful  worker  along  these 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  29 

lines.  Judgment,  imagination  sufficient  to  see  the  possi- 
bilities in  materials  and  sources,  and  adaptability,  and  the 
greatest  of  these  is  adaptability.  In  the  special  library 
particularly,  the  chief  requirement  in  the  workers  is  a 
willingness  cheerfully  to  change  methods  and  preconceived 
ideas  as  to  cataloging  and  classification. 

This  brochure  is  offered  with  the  hope  that  it  will, 
in  some  measure,  stimulate  and  aid  beginners,  who  have 
the  necessary  background  and  vision,  to  attack  these 
problems  more  courageously  and  effectively. 


30  CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS 


REFERENCES 

American  Library  Association. 

Pamphlets  and  minor  library  material :  clippings 
broadsides,  prints,  pictures,  music,  bookplates, 
maps.  .  .  Chicago,  American  library  association 
publishing  board,  1917.  29  p.  Reprint  of  Manual 
of  library  economy,  Chapter  XXV.  Contains  bib- 
liography. 

Colgrove,  Mabel  Eloise  (Welton),  and  M.  A.  McVety, 
compilers. 

List  of  subject  headings  for  information  file,  with 
introduction  and  a  list  which  supplements  the 
information  file,  of  119  important  reference  books 
containing  current  information.  Woodstock,  Vt.. 
Elm  Tree  Press,  1917.  123p.  (Modern  American 
library  economy  as  illustrated  by  the  Newark,  N.  J. 
Free  Public  Library,  V.2,  p.357-475).  Also  for 
sale  by  The  H.  W.  Wilson  Co. 

Dana,  J.  C,  ed. 

Color  and  position  method  for  filing  pamphlets, 
books,  maps,  letters  and  other  material.  Wood- 
stock, Vt.,  Elm  Tree  Press,  1918.  (Modern  Amer- 
ican library  economy  as  illustrated  by  the  Newark, 
N.J.  Free  Public  Library,  V.2).  Also  for  sale  by 
The  H.  W.  Wilson  Co. 

Fairfax,  Virginia. 

Pamphlets  and  clippings  in  a  business  library.  San 
Francisco,  Jour,  of  Electricity  and  Industry,  531 
Rialto  Bldg.,  1921.   62p. 

Hance,  Emma. 

Pamphlet  and  clipping  collections  in  the  Public  Li- 
brary, Washington,  D.C.     Wilson  Bulletin  1  :473- 
6.    May,  1920.  ' 
Harper,  Roland  McMillan. 

Suggestions  for  the  development  of  scientific  libra- 
ries ;  with  special  reference  to  author's  separates. 
N.Y.,  1917.  8p.  Reprint.  Science  V.45,  No.1161. 
March  30,   1917. 


CARE  OF  PAMPHLETS  AND  CLIPPINGS  31 

Hudders,  E.  R. 

Indexing  and  Filing:  A  Manual  of  Standard  Prac- 
tice. N.Y.  Ronald  Press  Co.  1916.  292p. 
McVety,  Margaret  A.  and  M.  E.  (W).  Colgrove. 
The  vertical  file.  Woodstock,  Vt.,  Elm  Tree  Press, 
1915.  34p.  (Modern  American  library  economy 
as  illustrated  by  the  Newark,  NJ.  Free  Public 
Library,  V.2,  part  18,  section  1.)  Also  for  sale  by 
The  H.  W.  Wilson  Co. 

Ovitz,  Delia  G. 

The  vertical  file.  School  library  reprint  series.  N.Y. 
Wilson,  n.d.  5p.  Reprint  of  "A  vertical  file  for 
every  classroom''  by  Delia  G.  Ovitz  in  The  Amer- 
ican  School.    July,    1918. 


ffc    *y ' 


ETURN       LIBRARY  SCHOOL  LIBRARY 

D^*       2  South  Hall                                 642-2253 

)AN  PERIOD  1 

2 

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5 

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ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 

DUE   AS  STAMPED   BELOW 

JUN  14  1979 

)RM  NO.  DD  18,  45m,  6'76  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  BERKELEY 

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©  i 


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